Data News Weekly

Cover Story
www.ladatanews.com December 16 - December 22, 2023
Page 3
Cover Story, Continued from page 2.
New Orleans, joined with her fellow
New Orleans native, Nancy Pesses,
a local baker and Founder of Challah
Creations by Nancy, to showcase
how both traditions are designed
to showcase remembrance
and resilience of both African
American and Jewish communities.
“The similarities of what we value
like unity is really important for
what this holiday is about not just
in commemoration, but also just for
bringing our family together, and
then the collective importance of
working together,” said Pesses, a
Louisiana State University graduate,
who is a small animal relief
veterinarian in Southeast Louisiana.
“We’re always stronger in numbers
is kind of the overarching theme
for every holiday gathering that
I’ve had in my family and kind of
within the Jewish community. And
so, why, why I feel like it is essential
to work together, not just in the Jewish
community, but outside of the
Jewish community with each other.
Because I feel like we are stronger
together,” Pesses added.
Both Livingston and Pesses explained
to students the role of different
foods in each celebration.
Pesses shared that Jewish families
Shaddai Livingston, the Festival Producer and Director of the New
Orleans Juneteenth Festival and a member of the New Orleans
Kwanzaa Coalition and Nancy Pesses, Owner of Challah Creations
by Nancy shares how both Kwanzaa and Hanukkah These are
celebrations of family, heritage and unity.
eat fried and sweet foods from potato
latkes to jelly donuts – sufganiyot,
to remember the miracle that
lit the menorah for 8 days, instead
of 1. Like Kwanzaa, Jewish people
acknowledge their liberation from
oppression and the freedom to
worship when the tradition first
Nancy Pesses, the owner of Challah Creations by Nancy shares on the
traditions of Hanukkah on Dec 5. at the Andre Cailloux Center.
began over 2,000 years ago. Livingston
added that the seven
Kwanzaa candles are symbolic of
the seven values of Umoja (unity),
Kujichagulia (self-determination),
Ujima (collective work and responsibility),
Ujamaa (cooperative
economics, Nia (purpose), Kuumba
(creativity) and Imani (faith).
There are three red candles representing
struggle, three are green
and represent land and hope, and
one is black to represent people of
African descent. Livingston shared
that since Kwanza is not a religious
celebration but a cultural one,
people of African descent whether
Christian, Muslim or Jewish all celebrate
Kwanzaa between Dec. 26th
and Jan. 1st each year. Hanukkah
is observed earlier from Dec. 7th
through Dec. 15th, with the Christ-
Cover Story, Continued
on page 7.